'Baai Tujhyapayi' Web-series Review: Director Nipun Avinash's Marathi show about puberty deserves your time

Cast: Sajiri Joshi, Kshitee Jog, Siddhesh Dhuri, Shivraj Waichal

Director: Nipun Avinash Dharmadhikari

Language: Marathi

There’s a new show in Marathi on Zee5 called ‘Baai Tujhyapayi’, set in the early 90s in a remote village of Vesaich Vadgaon, Maharashtra. The show follows the story of a young girl as she navigates 500-year-old oppressive customs in the village of Vesaich Vadgaon, in the hopes of one day becoming a doctor. To get into more details of this well-made show, here’s what it exactly is about- In Vesaicha Vadgaon, girls are married off at puberty due to an age-old tradition. Ahilya decides to hide her puberty to escape that fate. Will she succeed in getting away and fulfilling her dreams?

The first thing that strikes you about the series is the visuals. The cinematography immediately sucks you in its gritty world that talks about an issue that is often brushed under the carpet. After _Tumbbad_, which was able to create a masterclass of an atmospheric world in a constrained budget, Baai Tujhyapayi does that the same but with a subject that’s darker and more intense. It talks about an issue like puberty and what girls have to go through in their daily lives.

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It’s helped that the ensemble is full of actors and not stars that will hijack the narrative with their vanity. Actors always brim with vulnerability and the discomforting and dazzling close up shots by director Nipun Avinash Dharmadhikari create palpable tension. The story is about a girl who has dreams of becoming a doctor and serve her Village. She’s also worried about the fact that once her menstrual cycle starts, she will be married of by her family.

Every time a filmmaker tries to make a film about these crucial and burning issues our nation continues to grapple with, some people diss these sprites are regressive and old fashioned. But the fact is these issues will always and should remain a topic of discussion. Cinema is a medium that ought to be seen beyond merely a medium that entertains.

Written by Nikhil Khaire and Mukta Bam, Baai Tujhyapayi is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It comforts and jolts at the same time. You root for the actresses in the frame but also feel for their plight. This is a show that deserves your time.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

Baai Tujhyapayi is now streaming on Zee5